Do You Consider Daily Practice Necessary?

Whether to work alone or collaborate with other musicians sparked a lively debate in my recent LinkedIn poll. The responses, shared across three platforms- my page, a composers’ group, and a pianists’ group- were surprisingly diverse. On my page, 17% voted for “working alone,” 67% for “collaborating with others,” and 17% for “other comments” without actual comments. In the composers’ group, 46% voted for “working alone,” 23% for “collaborating with others,” and 31% for “other comments.”   One composer commented, “I am equally comfortable with doing both.” The absence of votes in the pianists' group further underscores the variety of perspectives on this issue.

I am not entirely surprised about the different results. Composing requires much personal space and a high level of independence.  Composers are accustomed to working alone. On the other hand, performers, except for solo keyboard players and guitarists, often play together with other musicians after practicing individually. Ensemble is teamwork. Collaborations between composers and lyricists are crucial for vocal music. The best-known example is the Gershwin brothers, the songwriting team creating numerous American Broadway standards.

As a pianist-composer, I have been working alone for the most part. Usually, I compose the music and then send the completed score to the performers. I would only meet with the performer(s) during the rehearsals. We communicate the idea of the music and how it would be best interpreted. Then, the music is performed. I would not need to revise the music unless there are technical issues. This is the ordinary procedure of creating a composition by a composer through the interpretation of the performers to the audience in the European Classical music tradition.

I collaborate with other musicians when I write for a particular musician, group, or occasion. It is a team effort to ensure that the music I write fulfills the occasion's purpose, and I might have to revise the music to suit the purpose. In graduate school, I enjoyed writing for friends who would premiere my music in their DMA recitals. The performance quality was guaranteed.

Undertaking exciting projects that required collaboration with professionals of different backgrounds was a significant step out of my comfort zone. Writing for trilingual mixed choirs of various levels and mixed styles was challenging but meaningful. The most unique collaboration experience was a fusion work for a Chinese plucked string ensemble and a jazz combo. The most challenging part was not the writing itself but the psychological adjustment of letting go of being the sole creator of the music. My writing was only a reference for the performers to improvise. As I listened to the live performance, I learned something new about my composition and the possibilities of how it might turn out. It was a scary but refreshing experience. It was a big step out of my comfort zone. I still enjoy hiding in my cave to write, but if I want to explore new possibilities, I must leave my cave occasionally.

The clearly defined roles of composer and performer are not the only approach to music creation. Outside the European Classical music tradition, a “musician” plays the role of both composer and performer. Musicians can listen to each other and interact with each other without looking at a score. If there is a score, it is simply a guideline to improvise. In this case, the composer no longer has the authority to dictate the structure and details of the music. Instead, the composer can exercise the freedom to improvise or allow the performers to improvise.

Musicians generally collaborate among performers, composers and performers, composers and lyricists, composers and dancers, or composers and visual artists. Collaborations among composers on the same project are less common. Recently, I went to two contemporary music concerts where the roles of composers and performers are blurred. One concert featured a group of composers/multi-instrumentalists collaborating and performing together on stage. The dynamics were incredible. Another acoustic concert featured a solo vocalist (not beatboxing) and a double bass player in each half. Traditionally, a vocalist needs an accompanist to provide harmony and rhythm, and a double bass player provides harmonic rhythmic support for other melodic instruments. The new independence of these two “non-soli” instruments challenges the necessity of collaboration between performers.

In conclusion, the choice between working alone or collaborating with others is not just a matter of personal preference. It reflects the nature of the roles of the composer or performer. Even though composers often need solitude, they must collaborate with other musicians or artists to bring their projects to fruition. This underscores the crucial role of collaboration in the rich tapestry of music creation. On the other hand, contemporary performers can gain greater independence and freedom in their music-making through improvisation and redefining their roles as solo artists, regardless of what instruments they play.